*Can I just say that your name guesses are cracking me up?You guys are a lot more creative than I am. I think it’s safe to say thatyou’ll never guess her name (and not just because her first name is Korean),but that shouldn’t worry you. It’s a good name. I think she’ll love itas much as we do. And Jess T, it’s definitely a feminine name, don’t worry.

Her name comes up in every conversation with Husband’s parents. They are dying to know. His dad asked if her name is in the Bible. It is technically, but that clue will not help anybody. He’s still searching and guessing.

My mom said she’s not even trying to guess because she knows me too well. I’m pretty creative when it comes to…life. She’s smart.

We’re settling into life in Korea, which means lots of coffee shop time.

It doesn’t feel like we’re so far away anymore. It’s like we’re just a couple states away instead of on the other side of the world. It’s really a blessing because sometimes living in another country can feel really isolating.

We’ve been playing with cute babies,

eating take-out (which is really fancy here. It’s super fast, and they deliver for free– using real dishes. Then they come back and collect the dishes when you’re done eating),

meeting friends for coffee,

and snapping photos with our new phones. My phone is just a camera until I make some friends. ha!

We’ve known all along. In fact, when I first found out I was pregnant, I can’t explain it, but I just knew her name. That pretty much killed the surprise and made me feel a little crazy. Husband has always called BP “her” and “she.”

I wanted to make a baby blanket for BP right away, so I went to the yarn store and bought neon pink. Then I felt really guilty assuming that she was a girl, so I went back, but the only color that jumped out at me was a deep purple. My mind was seriously set on girl.

Another reason I thought my instincts might be right is because I’ve always, my whole life, thought that I would have a boy first. Until I got pregnant.

I guess that’s why I just couldn’t wait any longer–I had to know if I was insane, or if we were right. I have no idea how people wait (Andrea!).

I’m not a huge fan of pink, but I love, love, love 80s neon pink. You can’t tell, but the blanket I’m making (above) is the perfect shade of orange-y neon pink. If you remember the sweatshirts that I puff-painted in elementary school, you’ve got the color. Glorious.

Now the question is “What’s her name!?!?!?!”But we’re not telling. Not until after she’s born.We talked about announcing the most hideous, ridiculous name just to see what your reactions would be, but I’m too lazy to think of a fake name.

Right now she has 2 names, but I’m pressing for a third. Not hyphenated. Hyphenated names can be too intense sometimes. We are in LOVE with her name(s) and can’t wait to tell everybody. Husband’s mom is doing her best to squeeze it out of us by begging for hints (she’s so cute), so if it slips out, I’ll let you know, but I don’t think it will.

Now I can get back to planning the most amazing dollhouse ever in the history of dollhouses.

We’re having a girl!I’m so excited and relieved that we were right. How awkward would it be to start saying “he” all of a sudden after 4 months of “she”?

Yay! I love that you guys responded to my boy/girl poll!Unfortunately for you, we decided not to tell anyone.

mwhahaha. Just kidding!

But first, a post about our new car.Suspense is fun, isn’t it?

I’m a strong believer that every car should have a name,so when I saw “JOHNSON” printed on every window of our new ride,there was no choice. Johnson it is.

I love it for so many reasons. It sounds kind of sophisticated. And normal.And completely ridiculous at the same time, which makes it stick.

Yesterday we discovered that Johnson had some problems.Car problems are inevitable, but we were hoping that he’d be ok for a while.I don’t like driving down the road wondering if we’re going to be stranded.

It turns out that the engine was not about to blow up. It was something minor, thank goodness.

We’re back on the road.

Does your car have a name? I really want to know!

*I’ll post about BP tomorrow (tonight in America). Get excited!Some of you were wrong, and some of you were right…

A few nights ago, before Husband fell asleep, I asked him an important question. It came to me all of a sudden, and I just had to know: are we billionaires? Husband laughed a little and assured me that we’re not (even close).

The reason I asked was because the exchange rate is more than 1,000won per dollar, which means we’ve got 1,000 and 10,000 and even 50,000 bills in our wallets. Kind of fancy, right?

Today we bought a car. A car! Can you believe it? We spent millions!

I’m sure you can imagine how unprofessional I am at a used car dealership.

Husband: What do you think?Me: I think it’s a really good deal!Husband: Shhh!Oops.

It worked out in the end, and it’s lovely! It’s black! It’s roomy! We are so thankful for such a blessing. We’ve already been scheming about group trips to Costco (because most foreigners don’t have cars and they NEED Costco), transporting students to our house for an evening of China-loving (after we have a house, of course), and even mini road trips with little BP.

We’re so excited!

This, my friends, is what you can buy after you spend three years in China and save over half your income. It is almost exactly the amount we saved. Exactly. How cool is that?

You may be a little nervous because we’re still homeless, but never fear! One step at a time. If finding a place doesn’t work out, I think she might be big enough to sleep in for a while. (Just kidding Mom).

This is the view out the front door of Husband’s parents’ house. The view is similar to the right and to the left. There are mountains everywhere. It feels good to be tucked away in this valley, enjoying the warmth of heated floors and incredible Korean food. It’s safe here. Safe for my heart and mind and soul. I’m wrapped up in peace.

The past few days have been full of all kinds of grown-up things. We have new haircuts, a new car (almost), and a new hospital for BP. Korea is such a magical place that I actually can’t wait to go to the hospital. I mean, really. That website is legit.

Next up: getting my permanent visa, finding jobs, and looking for a house. If that doesn’t make you feel old, I don’t know what will.

2011 was a great year, but 2012 is going to be a really great year.

Things to look forward to:Learning more Korean! (like it’s my full-time job)Finding out if BP is a boy or a girl! (any guesses?)Sewing again! (don’t let me wear anything that I sew myself)Eating cheese! (pizza. every day)BP’s arrival! (duh. definitely the most exciting)Christmas in America! (it’s been way too many years)

I’m thankful for such a strong, overwhelming peace during this time of transition.

Welcome to the new blog!We made it to Korea, which means we’re sleeping and eating. And that’s all. Pretty exciting stuff for us. I think BP doubled in size after the first meal. Seriously. This poor babe has been deprived of a lot of nutrition–not anymore! We are so thankful that we’re here and SO excited about the adventures ahead.

Thanks for your prayers!Love,Kara, Husband, and little BP

PS. I need your help! Got any questions for me/us for the FAQ page? Anyone want to help me out with the lame header? Anyone think the title of the new blog is too cheesy? Any thoughts about using proper capitalization and grammar in the new blog? Is the ‘about’ page too serious? Thank you, faithful readers! I’ll be sure to repay you with embarrassing videos and plenty of pictures of our new homeland.